THE HIGH COST OF BEING A GROOMSMAN

Groomsmen are shelling out more money than bridesmaids when participating in weddings today, according to the latest GOBankingRates survey of over 1,000 men and women.

To begin, groomsmen are spending more on average than bridesmaids for their wedding attire: $245.50 versus $214.58, respectively. More than 30 percent of groomsmen spent $200 or more on gifts for the couple getting married, but only 20 percent of bridesmaids spent that amount on gifts. In addition, 28 percent of both bridesmaids and groomsmen spent $300 or more on incidental wedding costs such as shoes, travel expenses, and hair and makeup.

Perhaps the survey’s most surprising finding is that groomsmen are also outspending bridesmaids Men who served as best man report spending an average of $998.78 on the bachelor party ― almost twice as much as maids of honor report spending on the bachelorette party, while the average total cost for a bachelor party is $681.13, as opposed to an average of $437.31 for bachelorette parties.

“Of course, it’s an honor to be asked to be a part of a friend or family member’s wedding,” said Cameron Huddleston, a columnist for GOBankingRates. “But you should think carefully about whether you can afford the costs of being a bridesmaid or groomsman before saying yes. If you do agree to be part of someone’s special day, you certainly should create a budget and stick to it.”